Severe drought in north China has eased after heavy rain over the past week, but the northwestern region of Xinjiang will bake for the next three days, the China Meteorological Administration warned on Thursday.

From Aug. 6-12, heavy rain swept across most parts of the northern Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and the northeast, including Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.

"The rain helped drive away persistent heat and bring favorable weather for the Beijing Olympic Games," said Yang Guiming, chief forecaster with the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

But some parts of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the country's northwest would see temperatures as high as 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit).

According to the NMC, more rain is expected in most parts of north China in the coming week. The eastern part of northwest China and the country's northeast will also see moderate rain.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)